The traditional Christmas ball was held in Glubokoye

"Christ is born! God is incarnate! The hearts of Orthodox believers are filled with joy and triumph during these holy January days. Christmas is a family holiday. And we are one big Christian family united by love, hope, and faith. And today we have gathered in the cozy hall of the Glubokoye City House of Culture to share joy with each other and glorify the newborn Son of God on the bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ," said Archpriest Mikhail Isoitko, dean of the Glubokoye district churches, welcoming the participants of the annual gathering of Orthodox youth of the Polotsk diocese. Father Mikhail's greeting was supplemented by Lyudmila Karnilovich, head of the department of ideological work and youth affairs of the district executive committee, who wished that the event would become the best Christmas gift for all those present.

According to a long-standing tradition, and this year, despite the real Christmas frost and the snowstorm that occurred the day before, young people from Ushachi, Postavy, Braslav, Dokshitsy, and Miory came to the gathering. Permanent participants of the gathering, long-time friends of the Orthodox youth of Glubokoye region, also arrived – students of the Polotsk Cadet School, accompanied by their director, our countryman Stanislav Konstantinovich Krasovsky.

After the Christmas prayer, young performers took to the stage of the cultural center. This year, the pupils of the Sunday school at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Glubokoye, in creative collaboration with the staff of the cultural center, prepared a play based on the fairy tale "The Snow Queen" by H.C. Andersen. The winter story, as is well known, tells of the eternal struggle between good and evil. A shard of a devil's mirror enters the boy Kai's heart and eye, and he begins to see only the bad sides in everything, becoming rude and evil, and then disappears altogether. But the brave girl Gerda embarks on a journey to the Snow Queen's kingdom, a realm of eternal cold, and with her love, frees Kai from his icy captivity. Love and goodness are all-conquering!

"A wonderful performance! Thank you to the talented actors and everyone involved in organizing the production. You transported us back to our childhood," shared his impressions from the stage, the head of the youth department of the Brotherhood of Orthodox Youth of the Polotsk Diocese, Archpriest Igor Chechukovich. "But, as Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin said, a fairy tale is a lie, but there's a hint in it. After all, shards often enter our hearts, just like Kai's. And we become cold towards our loved ones, we don't notice some people, we offend them willingly or unwillingly. But this cold can be melted by prayer, love, and the kindness of people who love us. Remember this. Merry Christmas!"

The festive meeting of Orthodox youth continued in the dance hall of the Cultural Center, where the Christmas Ball took place. It was opened by the pupils of the Polotsk Cadet School. Gallant gentlemen and charming ladies whirled in a waltz. Waltz, polonaise, Russian march, Letka-enka... Even the shyest and most timid, caught up in the general mood of joy and merriment, took to the dance floor and twirled and twirled in dances. Oh, how beautiful this ball is!